NEWPORT BEACH, CA, United States
About this listing
Hello, My father is the pioneering guitarist Jimmy Bryant. I have been around guitars my entire life. Offered from my personal collection is an extraordinary first year 1987 Ibanez RG550 in its original fluorescent Road Flare Red finish, manufactured by FujiGen in Japan and bearing serial number F768094.JBThis rare guitar is up for sale by me personally. I will start with only shipping within the US. If I get an offer for the guitar and it is out of country, we can discuss shipping options. If you are interested and want me to take additional pictures or videos just let me know. FYI, I build the American Flag Guitar Frame you see in the pictures and video holding Steve's guitar. FYI, the frame is not included in this listing, I can list the frame on Reverb as a separate listing if interested.This guitar was previously owned by Steve Vai and was obtained directly through one of our mutual friends. It bears Steve’s signature but it is in a position were his signature is faint, his distinctive hand-drawn artwork on the lower portion of the body still looks good. Yes, I let friends play it, you can see how Steve signed it, but I believe guitars are built to play...my dad went through 100's of guitars in his life, gave away many, and I am guessing those players that got a guitar from dad didn't appreciate it less because his signature isn't perfect. I do understand it would be awesome if his signature was still perfect on this guitar, but I am sure the player who wants to play this very special guitar will love having it.This instrument has previously been represented as a prototype and pre-production RG550 connected to the development of Ibanez’s original RG series. Interested collectors are welcome to contact me through Reverb with specific questions about the documentation.HISTORICAL IMPORTANCEIbanez introduced the RG550 in 1987 alongside Steve Vai’s revolutionary JEM signature model. The RG550 was developed as the JEM’s sister instrument, sharing its high-performance body concept, 24-fret neck, HSH pickup configuration and double-locking Edge tremolo while omitting the JEM’s Monkey Grip and ornate cosmetic features.This guitar therefore comes from the inaugural year of one of the most influential high-performance electric-guitar designs ever produced—and has the added distinction of a direct personal connection to the artist whose JEM helped inspire the RG series.SPECIFICATIONS• Model: Ibanez RG550• Year: 1987• Serial number: F768094• Factory: FujiGen, Japan• Finish: Road Flare Red• Neck: Maple Wizard-profile neck• Fingerboard: Maple• Frets: 24• Pickup configuration: Ibanez V1/S1/V2 HSH• Bridge: Ibanez Edge double-locking tremolo• Controls: Master volume, master tone and five-way selector• Orientation: Right-handed• Strings: SixCONDITIONThe guitar is in good vintage condition and displays honest cosmetic wear consistent with its age and history. There are some finish chips, scratches, checking and areas of hardware wear, all photographed carefully so you can see for yourself. Steve Vai’s signature (as described above) and artwork remains visible on the front of the body.The guitar is being sold as a historically significant collector’s instrument, but it remains a functional professional-quality Ibanez. The, very grainy (sorry), photo of me holding Steve's guitar was taken at the Anaheim NAMM show many years ago when I first got it. INCLUDED• Hard case shown in the photographs• Signed letter of provenance from John “JB” BryantThis is not just a vintage guitar; it is a seminal artifact in modern electric guitar history. Let me know if you have any questions.
Original Price$8,777
$2,237 price drop
New Price$6,540
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