My review of the Ibanez RG655! In my personal experience, the best guitar under £1000. Guitar lessons available on Skype! Email enquiries to shuttmusic@gmail.com. Download my album: store.cdbaby.c...
I bought this guitar an year ago... And this is my second Prestige ( other one is RGA 121H CDO) ... The main reasons I chose this among all others is the Edge Bridge which is the best , the neck profile and the single coil sound in a guitar with floating Edge bridge... When I say single coil sound , its like I get the Fender kinda tone as well as a shred machine with industry best Edge bridge.. No doubt its value for money and my fav guitar...only thing I did was change the strings to 10s and adjusted the action... Whoever has this guitar... Trust me this is an asset.
Fantastic video, very honest and informative. I've owned multiple JEM's including the VSBL and the 7vwh up until I stopped playing and sold them a couple of years ago. Now I'm just starting to get back into playing again and I'm thinking the RG655 would be a great place to jump back in. The cobalt blue version looks particularly nice.
Probably one of the most thorough and informative reviews/demo's I have seen in awhile! I appreciate the insight on the Edge ii Bridge and the issues and all of that. I used to have a trem guitar but I had to sell it. I love Gibson's but I also love the Ibanez Trem bar playing too. I appreciate your time and information on this one, thanks!
I just picked one up in Blue. They cost $1200.00 usd. It has a great set of pickups, the single coil tone in the middle is very good. Great clean or distorted. The fretwork is top notch as well. If you really want the Jem Tone, just install a set of EVO's, this one plays just as well. A Jem is twice the price here.
***** Sweetwater. I don't work there or nothing. MF has them too. I just think that $1200 for a Japanese Prestige with DiMarzio's and the original Edge is a good price.
I bought one of these as well. I bought it from Dimitar Nalbantov. He has some great videos and music on RU-vid. I just recently bought an Ibanez RG652ahm and it's awesome and fairly inexpensive as well. Great vids!
+ponsau They're lovely looking guitars! Similar in specification to the RG in this video, I understand, but the different wood combinations and finish provide some nice variation in the RG line up.
I already have an RG652ahm but I'm still considering picking one of these up... would love if I could get a sustainiac installed in it, would be a dream come true.
Although it's now discontinued, the BC Rich ASM Pro was the best guitar of this type for the money. Through neck, EMG 81 85 pickups, original Floyd Rose, ebony fret board, jumbo frets and Grover tuners for an MSRP of just £599! And I got mine for less than $300 off eBay.
Sean Cooper A good deal no doubt, but that model is manufactured in Korea as far as I know, and there are many guitars with good hardware built in Korea and Indonesia for less than the guitar in this video. You do pay a premium for the guitar to be built in Japan, or the USA, or the UK, so I don't think the ASM Pro and the RG655 are comparable.
Are you supposed to be able to do dive bombs and pull the trem back also? I just got one but I cannot get low action without losing most of the ability to pull the bar back towards the input jack(raising the pitch).
I got the mine in galaxy black back in march 2017 for £899 I also have a line 6 shuriken £999, a Dean custom 450 £600 and most recently a Schecter c1 sls elete £1200. The ibanez is hands down the best playing out of all of them. Not the best looking, but deffo the best set up and playing. The notes sustain longer, the neck has the best feel (for me personally). The bridge is fantastic, I agree with you about the wammy bar though. I would love to try a similarly speced out s series as this rg. I couldn't think of a better guitar at this price point.
The S series have a striking look to them, and they are satisfyingly thin... If that makes any sense. My issue with S Series guitars, and the reason I am selling mine, is that it has no cut away for the forearm. Obviously, it can't have, otherwise there would be no guitar left - cutting into a wafer thin body. It doesn't bother plenty of players, clearly, but the way I hold the guitar it does, a little. My S Series J-Custom is in joint first-place for the best sounding guitar of any I have played, though.
Buying this guitar soon, can't stop looking up videos with people reviewing/playing it.. It's a 'leap of faith' in my case really, because my local store doesn't have any of these so I''ll have to order online and I'm hoping this neck is as comfy as many people deem it to be after playing a strat for quite some time now :) great review btw.
Stores near me tend not to stock high end guitars like these, and even when they do they are set up like shit so it's always a leap of faith for me too ;) I don't know about where you live, but in the UK you can return it as an unwanted item within a certain number of days anyway.
Hi Craig, good video.. thanks.! For genearal information, new trem bushes are readily available on eBay for example, for a few quid. Easy to change.. Stick a bit of grease in the hole, occasionally, before fitting the arm for better longevity.. Cheers.
I keep stock of many, and I've been through many dozens! I just don't think they're a good solution for stiffness of the arm which should be adjustable and possible to set-and-forget, or for the snugness of the fit of the arm in the socket which ought to be made to measure.
@@CraigShuttGuitar I'm quite surprised.. I've owned a number of S540fm's with the lo pro edge. Never had any problems with play in the arm, although after some time it's less willing to stay in position. Perhaps your particular model is out of spec.? You could replace the arm and socket together maybe, or have a socket made up with tight tolerance to the arm.. How about some silicon damping fluid in the arm socket.? Don't want to offend you, but I assume you're pushing the arm in until it clicks.? 😳 I agree it should be correct to begin with, and an adjuster would be nice. It's still the best locking trem out there.!
@@chrisbloggs9634 Haha, no offence taken, but I have owned a dozen ibanez and they all have the same problem for a regular player when compared to a more robust mechanical solution like the Gotoh Floyd. The bushings do wear down relatively quickly - there is no way to resolve that other than by manufacturing it from a harder material, which invites its own problems.
@@chrisbloggs9634 None of the models change much over time, between all edge models the socket, arm and bushings are the same. The model numbers are the same for the arm and bushings in the parts catalogue. Indeed, this is an issue I've spoken with pros about, I know signature ibanez players who make similar make-shift alterations to achieve a snugness and stiffness preferable to them due to it being unadjustable. Applying heat, or teflon under the bushings, seem the most popular.
Hey, great guitars, I have the cobalt Blue one with maple fretboard. It sounds very bright, hard to adjust going from a strat with rosewood fretboard to playing this, but In comparison I've noticed using the Ibanez live versus the fender you don't always need the warmth of a fender to have a nice lead tone. The Ibanez cuts through the mix well in a live situation. Mine has the evolution pickup in the bridge which I'm loving for lead and rhythm.anyway that's enough of my rants. Thanks for the vid
lol i wouldnt worry about the fretboard....youve never touched one whilst playing anyway... neither have your strings ... its the frets your negotiating with "shred" ....lol don't worry i didn't know that either until about 6 sos ago.... your welcome
It is claimed that maple is a brighter sounding wood due to its resonance, not because you put your finger on it, or not, as the case may be ;) Whether the fretboard's wood type would really affect tone is something that is unclear without extensive testing being done whereby the only variable that changes from test A to B is the fretboard wood type. You're right in saying the evolution bridge pickup cuts through the mix easily!
As would I, for ease of restring and working on it, but in my experience the original edge flutters better, I imagine because of how the weight is distributed
haha I got the same in Cobalt Blue! that guitar shreds like a beast :D but I changed pickups for an EMG 57/SLV/66 set. Thinking about playing around with different trem blocks for maybe more sustain.
EMG's sound better on Les Paul's but not so much for strat style guitars like your Ibanez, (I have the Cobalt Blue) Dimarzio X2N would be much better .
+Puertecitos68 well I also have the SD Blackouts modular preamp and O will try it ith the DiMarzios that came onboard with the guitar. I have a bit room to play around and since the Tone Zone and Air Norton are not too high output pickups, I suppose it should work just fine and add some of that active pickup biceps :D
Hi, Craig, long time no see! :) I like to watch you vids once in a while, thanks for uploading them! Anyway, I wanted to ask, if you know why Jemsite jams were shut down for almost a year now? I'd love to participate in something like that again. Maybe there are other platforms for this type of thing, or it's possible to revive the Jemsite one, what do you think?
+Yan Si. Hey! Nice to hear from you, and thanks for your kind words :) I honestly don't know why they died the death they did, I got the impression that at least a few people really enjoyed them! Perhaps we should post in an attempt to revive them. The only similar things I've come across are larger improvisation competitions but they seem to be annual rather than regular.
some of the new ibanez 2017 models are already out but no pricing yet, really waiting for your opinion about the guitars once they're in store.. im still waiting for the new models before i spend my money XD really respect your opinion sooo.. yeah =)
www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/namm-2017-ibanez-reveals-55-new-electric-acoustic-and-bass-guitars-646288 here's the 2017 ibanez lineup just in case you wanted to see them =)
Akhil srivatsa Sometimes they are very tough to push in, but it will go - you just have to give it some! Best to lay the guitar flat on its back and push the bar in. The nylon bushings will become shaved down to size (damaged basically) before the metal socket so don't worry about that.
You can indeed! Some 80s Floyds did have pop-in arms, but my issue IS the pop-in arm, as well as the screw in. I prefer the Gotoh style which is a kind of hybrid with a locking mechanism on the back. :)
But that's what I'm talking about... (!?) they sell these types now, mine should be here tomorrow. Or Am I missing something? By locking mechanism on the back, are you referring to an actual lock for the arm or the block? floydrose.com/products/frtapi?variant=29837630034 These have the tortex (?) collar and a set screw to set the tension right.
Ah I thought you were referring to the old-style ones! Those new ones are good and quite a recent addition to the OFR line. They're one of the best designs, and more similar to the Gotoh design than any other, but I still prefer the Gotoh design. The Gotoh is internally threaded with a grub screw on the back of the arm, to change the degree to which you nip the arm within the holder. So, I'm talking about an extra locking mechanism for the arm.
fahrizal siswanto My preference is the jem7vwh only for the neck profile, which is slightly thicker. I do however prefer the finish on the RG655 neck, it's a different matte finish which is a bit smoother. The nicest finished necks are the J customs but again they are the thinnest necks. Playability overall, the jem7vwh and rg655 are very similar, and you may prefer the thinner neck on the rg655.
rg655 is thinner neck with a more rounder profile, while jem is bit thicker with more flatter profile, while the rg655 feels more lacquered finish (still very much satin) but jem for me feels more that i'm touching the wood than finish. I have a jem7v made in 2017 and rg655 made in 2016.
+Daniel B Thanks! Here I'm using a Jemini Distortion Pedal (using the green side of the pedal) and an Electro Harmonix Memory Toy through a Carvin Legacy 3 on the second (distorted) channel of the amp, using the built-in reverb. I like quite a simple set up :) I have two other videos that look at the amp and pedalboard a little more, if you're interested.
That Ibañez is one of the best of them out there. Maybe you want try Evertune bridge in your guitars. All right with FR, but it's a head pain if you want to record a track...you need re tune the guitar all the time. Whit the other birdge the guitar keep tuned under every situation (extreme bends, climate change, etc). Ibañez + Evertune = everything. Just check out on YT the video: "5 guitars 5 evertune". Jari Maempaa has a Jem whit it! And other 4 Ibañez!
Juan Rodriguez I am aware of evertune but I am personally not fond of them as I require a trem. My trems have excellent tuning stability - I recorded an album without excessive retuning, in fact I had to retune my fixed bridge more often. Evertune is a brilliant piece of kit, just not my cup of tea!
Hi Craig, how does this compare to your JC? I'm getting stuck at the option on which one to buy. JC is twice the cost with different body wood. I don't really care about the tree of life inlay, velvetouch and titanium rod things. These aside, is the JC still worth it?
lhzx Hi, well if many of the most important features including velvetouch don't appeal to you, then just get the prestige RG :) the only other thing to consider really is the fret finishing but that's a minor thing to many people.
Thanks for the reply. I'd also want to know is there differences in wood quality between the two that cause noticable differences in things like neck stability, resonance, etc.?
lhzx I don't have any evidence to show that J-Customs are built with better quality wood, but I am inclined to believe that Ibanez do use better wood cuts for J-Customs. Apparently they are specially built, and if the fret finishing is anything to go by they certainly get more attention when being built. My RG shaped J-Custom is better in terms of loudness and resonance than the RG655, but the wood types and pickups are entirely different so it wouldn't be fair to draw any hard conclusions from this comparison.
Thanks again Craig. I've just ordered a black rg8540 with hss pickups. It's my first Ibanez with a super thin neck (jc profile equivalent to the super wizzard). Hope I'll love it : )
hi craig! since this video was posted on april, are there any new guitars that might be really inexpensive for what you get? or is this still your number one?
Hey. this is certainly still up there in terms of bang for your buck, and I haven't seen anything that beats it yet (especially as in some stores the 655 has come down a little in price). There have been others things to come onto the market in a similar price range in the Ibanez world such as the Ibanez RG2550Z, if you like the Edge Zero bridge and want something more exciting in terms of fretboard inlays... Apart from these kinds of examples, you can find some great post-Christmas deals on new guitars at the moment, with guitars slashed from £2k to £1k, particularly if that guitar has been discontinued (old colour or something).
Just a question how does this neck compare to the morden C from fender? is the neck too thin to play other styles other than to shred? I am a fingerstyle acoustic guitar player and is looking for electric guitar, and I am looking to play funk and rock. Thanks in advance.
tan shi yu The modern c is very noticeably thicker to my hand. By no means do I think the modern c is a thick neck in the grand scheme of all electric guitar necks, but the super wizard is very thin indeed. I don't have much to add specifically about the wizard in comparison other than that it is a bit chunkier than the super wizard. You can definitely play jazz and funk on a super wizard neck, and so long as you don't get cramp from holding awkward chord shapes over a thin neck, it is actually easier to play difficult chord shapes on a thin neck because they accommodate wider stretches.
If I am honest... Not reeaaallly. Don't get me wrong, there's nice stuff out there, but if I look at PMTonline which has the whole lineup as far as I can see in £GBP for my own understanding, the prices aren't that attractive. A Premium RG like this one www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-2017-rg1070pbz-ckb-rg-premium-electric-guitar-charcoal-black-burst has a lovely finish, but it isn't prestige and has a lower-spec bridge, yet it is more expensive than a prestige! It's £1099. It's a similar story with the 2017 prestige - expense! www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-2017-s6570sk-stb-prestige-s-sunset-burst is £1829. What is worth mentioning about the 2017 lineup, though, is that some models feature stainless steel frets. If this is important to you, it's the first time Ibanez have ever done it! See this model for SS frets: www.ibanez.com/products/eg_detail17.php?year=2017&area_id=3&cat_id=1&series_id=1&data_id=185&color=CL01
thanks man! thought the same thing! if they put those guitars in the prestige range with the same price id definitely consider (cuz you'll sort of get a guarantee that the guitars are made really well since it's made in the japanese factories where all the other models are made). not too sure if the stainless frets are enough of the tradeoff though. i heard that you literally never have to refret again if you have stainless frets but i might have been mislead to believe so, not too sure. anyways thanks man!
SS has its benefits, I'll probably get SS on my custom build back end of this year/start of next year. Yeah, you won't need a re-fret. Some say they eat through strings faster. Some say they add a brightness to the tone. Some love how smooth they feel bending, while a local shop owner said to me that it feels like your frets have been covered in Vaseline and it's awful! Very much a personal preference thing :)
It's a great guitar, a similar deal in terms of quality to price for sure. The main differences are that the neck is slightly but noticeable thicker on the RG2550Z. If you prefer a slightly thicker neck than the super thin shred-style neck of the RG655, then this may be a dealbreaker for you. The dealbreaker for me, personally, is that the RG655 has the original Edge bridge, and I consider this to be superior to the Edge Zero bridge which features on the RG2550Z.
i ended up getting the Ibanez RG655, and I cannot tell you how happy i am that i did. I am one to have buyers remorse but not a single regret nor doubt, this thing holds up to just about everything. Its versatility is crazy as i play proficiently in many genres such as jazz, classical, metal etc. plus i got the guitar, hardshell case, and prestige tool kit for $800 flat. And honestly it plays just as good as my dream guitar (ibanez jem) i mean they were made in the same factory. Anyway yeah the next is like stupid sleek and allows (my hands) to do just a bit more that the 2550Z. but yeah the neck really is the only difference
Their best models, I would say, are superstrat shapes - you're right. However, they do have some others! The Iceman, Fireman, AR, ARZ, FR, Talman, Roadcore.
Hey, obviously the RG2550z is £100 - £200 more expensive, and for that the differences are: aesthetics, and an Edge Zero bridge. I personally would not opt for the Edge Zero bridge - although it has some interesting and useful functions, it feels, reacts and therefore sounds different to the standard Edge or Lo Pro Edge. Overall, it is another good value guitar at prestige quality (indeed all the other specs are the same as the RG655!), but the original Edge bridge is a clincher for me and it appears on too few models (and almost no models at this price range).
Hi, I will do my best! Essentially the Edge Zero has a Zero Point System (ZPS) has a different tension set up, basically providing more tension for the strings. This means you have a lot less pull up range, the set-up feels a bit different and doesn't flutter as well, but you have improved tuning stability.
Yes, I know it has the ZPS and I can imagine it feels more like a hard tail. But my question is beyond the feeling in the hands, instead it is about the sound diference. I'm asking you this because I have to decide between rg655 and rg2550Z, but in my case I'm unable to test them before purchase. Actually, I never played a Ibanez with ZPS, because I only had Edge and Edge Pro before, but the idea of ZPS seems to me to make Zero Edge to be far way better than the original edge. But I can not imagine how it would make the Original Edge SOUND better than the Zero Edge. Should I assume that the Edge Zero sound more like a hard tail bridge?
I see, well I am of the opinion that the bridge type does very little to change the timbre of the guitar, and that there are far too many other variables that would mask the effects of such a change even if there were a change. ZPS is more like how a Kahler works, and is less free-floating than the Edge, Edge Pro or Edge Zero. I grant that a hardtail is often reported to have better sustain, and if that is so then the Edge Zero will also have better sustain than the Edge because it is a more rigid system. Overall I think the Edge zero is more like a hardtail than the Edge is, but that the difference will be minimal when you're running through your pedalboard and amp. The physics of how the bridge actually reacts creates a far greater distinction in sound than the tonal qualities do.
